By Steve MegargeeThe Associated Press
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard will likely be sidelined indefinitely, with the team announcing Tuesday night that he has deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and is taking blood-thinning medication.
The Bucks provided the update on the seven-time all-NBA guard from Oakland’s status without offering a target date for his potential return. Lillard has missed the last three games for the Bucks, who close a five-game trip Wednesday at Denver.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel.
“Damian’s health is our No. 1 priority,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We will support him as he moves through this weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play. Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery.”
The Bucks said Lillard’s medication has stabilized the thrombosis and that he will continue with regular testing.
Lillard, 34, is the second high-profile player to be sidelined this season because of DVT.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was diagnosed with it in his shoulder after he returned from the All-Star Game last month and was quickly ruled out for the season. He, like Lillard, is on blood-thinning medication, but doctors have assured the Spurs that there is no concern for Wembanyama’s long-term health.
Such cases have affected NBA players before, including Hall of Famer Chris Bosh — whose career was cut short after he was diagnosed with blood clots while playing with Miami. Brandon Ingram, now with the Toronto Raptors, had his 2018-19 season end early because of deep vein thrombosis when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers. Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, also from Oakland, had a clot issue that saw him miss the end of the 2023-24 season.
DVT typically develops in the lower leg, so the diagnosis of it in Lillard’s calf is not uncommon.
This injury puts on hold a season in which Lillard earned his ninth All-Star Game selection. He was ranked 10th in the NBA in assists (7.1) and 11th in scoring (24.9).
His situation raises the likelihood that the Bucks could open the playoffs without one of their two superstars for a second straight season. Milwaukee went out in the first round of the playoffs for a second consecutive season last year when a calf injury prevented two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from playing at all in a 4-2 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks (40-31) entered Tuesday’s action fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, two games behind fourth-place Indiana and a half-game ahead of sixth-place Detroit. The top four teams in the conference earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.